Group members: Danielle Wolf, Stephaney C., Rob B., Allison H., Beth S., Ashley A.
Urbanization is the growth of cities. There were many positive and negative effects because of urbanization.
Urbanization played a major part in the growth of America. Famous Inventors like Thomas Edison, also helped the growth and added to urbanization. Philosophers like Charles Darwin (come up with the idea of evolution by natural selection, or Social Darwinism) and Max Weber (who was known by the way he helped define th societies of northern Europe who neglected the prosperity of Lombardy). There were negative and positive effects of urbanization. Some negative effects are that there were deseases, garabage left on the street, and there were issues of health and safety in the years of the 20th century. Some positive effects were the developement of universities based off of German universities, the rapid growth of comercial entertainment, and a new bold, and taste in music, such as ragtime, jazz, and patriotic military marches. So as a result of urbanization, the country underwent a decisive series of shifts in a span of a single decade.
What conditions existed in the United States which allowed the Industrial Revolution to take root and flourish in America ?
-Railroads were being built which helped with making transportation easier. Factories meant that more goods would be produced and which led to more jobs which meant that more people could buy those goods.
How did laissez-faire capitalism influence the development of business organization in the United States ? -Anyone who had ideas or inventions could get other people to back them financially. This became really popular.
Were the leaders of Big Business "robber barons," or in fact "captains of industry?" The leaders were robber barons because they took advantage of the workers. One example was exploitation of child labor. Eventually laws would be made that would prevent this from happening.
How did some philosophies serve to support class division during the Gilded Age? - To the high class Social Darwinism showed that they got to their point in life because they worked for it and that the lower classes deserved to be where they are at; this was also the feelings towards the Protestant Work Ethic.
How did the Industrial Revolution cause urbanization and a dramatic increase in the number of immigrants to the United States ? -People began migrating to bigger cities. As immigrants heard the jobs that were being offered, they moved.
What effect did urbanization and immigration have on the United States ? -As more people were migrating it was becoming easier for them to get jobs because of the growth of cities.
Why have many historians considered the late 1800's in America to be a Gilded Age; a period which was outwardly showy, but inwardly corrupt? -Guilded Age means covered with a thin layer of gold. The guilded age seemed to be a prosperous time for America but really only a little prosperity covered up the corruption of the time period.
How did early reaction to the Gilded Age attempt to correct the abuses of the period?-New Businesses were being created.
-Railroads were being built which helped with making transportation easier. Factories meant that more goods would be produced and which led to more jobs which meant that more people could buy those goods.